Let me, please, start out by saying that I am not a philosopher, neither am I trying to sound like one. I am only a being alive, a bold statement that is. People are alive in many different ways. That doesn’t do it. I don’t know. That being said, there is a joke I have read on the internet that I would like to share. One man (Mitch Hedberg) thinks, oh well, I have a vest; if my arms were cut off, I would have a jacket. This would certainly leave him better off during the winter as his arms would not be freezing (which is not the point of the joke to be sure). However, some people say you can feel your missing limbs; they may even ache – which raises questions about the certainty of not feeling the cold.
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| Bratislava, Slovakia – Commuters |
In today’s world, many a thing is being questioned. Is that the theory of relativity spreading into all areas of, shall I say, thinking? I will put this one to rest just like an off-shoot. The theory of relativity lacks the observer, go figure.
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| Bratislava, Slovakia – Commuters |
I am wondering about the extent to which the predictions of prophets and prophetic writings are shielding us from uncertainty, provided one likes to be shielded at times. If you consider the fact that Isaiah walked the streets naked for three years for others to see, he must have been pretty certain of what he was doing, who he was listening to. There is no uncertainty in that, is there? It’s the time that leaves us wondering. If things he talked about were to be happening any time soon – some perhaps are – we would not be at a loss. But if some are to happen thousands of years from now – no need for us to be sure about them. They become uncertain for us, as they don’t interfere with our present lifetime.
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| Bratislava, Slovakia – Commuters |
It’s better to let some things come naturally rather than asking to know. We may become certain that something will pass, but it’s wise to provide ourselves with the luxury of doubt and to concede to the fact that something happens only when it actually happens. Sometimes there is no doubt, no lingering in hope, but then being in the know makes us peaceful, especially if we “lingered” in fear.
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| Bratislava, Slovakia – Commuters |
And then, even when things happen, we are not certain what their meaning is, or, different people see different meaning. Some people say that the only thing certain in life is death. Now, if taken hard on, death is where it all ends. But for someone who likes to see, there is a different meaning in that sentence. Language offers us a whole new level of uncertainty. Sometimes we don’t know what people are really saying. The consequence of Babylon, I would argue. It’s best when one can speak to encompass all meanings so everybody can find their own truth. Things said in the wrong place, at the wrong time lose their informational value and only amount to a heap of words that become useless. It truly is a loss of information. True information is a valuable asset that helps us gain confidence and certainty. Say my name is Michael, there are many more Michaels in the world. People are able to say the word Michael in such a way that Michael knows they are or they are not talking to or about him. I would dare to say the same is with the word Devil. When the information comes through, you know what is being talked about, and feel confident.
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| Bratislava, Slovakia – Commuters |
I guess no one really knows what the future holds for us. The likelihood that things will unfold in an everyday manner is rather high, unless life takes a sharp turn. Anything can happen, even though the probability of really horrific things happening is rather low. But there is this uncertainty as to the duality – horrifying as oppose to pleasurable. I am prone to think most people try to live in a manner so that bad things are kept away. But then what’s so bad about bad, that duality, good and bad. This is the greatest uncertainty in language. Bad just can be something I have seen in a store where they were selling girls’ shoes that have “bad” printed on the back of one and “girl” on the other. Perhaps there really is some duality, but we should keep away from knowing good and evil.
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| Bratislava, Slovakia – Commuters |
Such duality makes our uncertainty grow into a tremendous apparition, with fear growing parallel. Justice is the cause of that. There is justice in being taken by surprise, and chance is the substance of surprise. A king caught by surprise can shake hands with a beggar. It can make the one feel like a beggar and the other like a king, with chance being a vessel of equality. We can be truly certain that justice will cause us to answer for whatever we amassed in our hearts, just as there is uncertainty to the extent that we do not know if it will bring what we expect.
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| Bratislava, Slovakia – Commuters |
Certainty may be a cause for disdain, and uncertainty the promise of hope. After all, I’d rather live for the chance of reward than the certainty of punishment.
Tweeney Cooleridge
Credits
Photo 1: Spania Dolina, Slovakia – At Night – Mat Kovci
Photo 2: Bratislava, Slovakia – Commuters – Route66
Photo 3: Bratislava, Slovakia – Commuters – Route66
Photo 4: Bratislava, Slovakia – Commuters – Route66
Photo 5: Bratislava, Slovakia – Commuters – Route66
Photo 6: Bratislava, Slovakia – Commuters – Route66
Photo 7: Bratislava, Slovakia – Commuters – Route66
Photo 8: Bratislava, Slovakia – Commuters – Route66
Locations
Real: Postcard emblems in The Codex of Uncertainty Transposed and The Anthology of Global Instability Transposed on display at 1080
Virtual: www.perypatetik.net
Social: Cinemblem (cine emblem) at www.facebook.com/Perypatetik
Castañeda, Martha Corzo. Worried Workers – Peru. February 2018.
Cordido, Veronica. The Crib of Uncertainty – Venezuela. January 2018.
Dastan, S.A. Uncertain Waters – Turkey. March 2019.
Electra P. Aβεβαιότητα: The Enemy of Romantic Relationships – Greece. February 2018
Goumiri, Abdennour. Uncertainty Is All There Is – France. February 2018.
Guerrero, Marilin. Crossing the Uncertain Path of Life – Cuba. February 2018.
Konbaz, Rahaf. So You Say You Want A Revolution – Syria. March 2018.
Lozano, Gabriela. El cuchillo de la incertidumbre : Piercing Uncertainty – México. January 2018.
Samir, Ahmed. Uncertainty in Personal Life. January 2018.
Quintero, Jonay. The Fear of Not Knowing – España. January 2018.
Forthcoming
Translators and writers in Uruguay, Italy, Russia, Paraguay, Argentina, Germany, Romania, Spain, America, Britain, and more…
The Anthology of Global Instability Transposed
Table of contents for The Archive of Global Instability Transposed and complete collection can be found at www.perypatetik.net.
Alvisi, Andrea. Political and Social Instability: The Brexit Mess. May 2017.
Bahras. Unstable Air Pollution – Unstable Solutions: Mongolia. June 2017.
Bichen, Svetlana Novoselova. Mental and Cultural Instability: Russia and Turkey. February 2017.
Bondarenko, Evgeny. Hybrid War: Ukraine. December 2018.
Borghi, Silvana Renée. Living in Inestabilidad. September 2017.
Caetano, Raphael. Instabilidade emocional: Brazil. February 2017.
Çakır, Peren. On the Road in Search of Stability: Argentina and Turkey. June 2017.
Casas, Marilin Guerrero. Emotional Estabilidad: The Key To a Happy Life – Cuba. December 2017.
Charles-Dee. Social Onstabiliteit – South Africa. December 2017.
Cordido, Verónica. Instability, a Stable Reality: Venezuela and America. April 2017.
Dastan, S.A. The Stability of Instability: Turkey and Syria. March 2017.
D’Adam, Anton. Psychosocial Instability in Argentina and America: El granero del mundo and The Manifest Destiny. January 2017.
Delibasheva, Emilia. Political Instability: Electoral Coups in America and Bulgaria. December 2016.
Ellie. Angry Folk: Korea. June 2017.
Farid, Isis Kamal. Stability Is Not An Option – Egypt. August 2017.
Friedrich, Angelika. Introduction: The Emblem of Instability. September 2016.
Fondevik, Vigdis. Unstable Nature: Norway and Denmark. October 2016.
Ghadir, Younes. Political Instability – Lebanon. September 2017.
Gómez, Javier. The Way of No Way – Argentina and the UK. December 2017.
Gotera, Jay R. In Flux Amid Rising Local and Regional Tensions – Philippines. November 2017.
Guillot, Iulianna. Starting and Staying in Instability – Moldova. October 2017.
Gjuzelov, Zoran. The Нестабилност of Transition – Macedonia. November 2017.
Halimi, Sophia. Modern Instabilité: Youth and Employment in France and China. March 2017.
Hernandez, Jonay Quintero. Embracing Instability – Spain. February 2017.
Kelvin, Sera. The Stability in Expecting Emotional Instability: Brazil. April 2017.
Konbaz, Rahaf. The Castaways: On the Verge of Life – Syria. August 2017.
Korneeva, Ekaterina. Instability… or Flexibility? July 2017.
Kreutzer, Karina. Hidden Instabilität – Ecuador and Switzerland. December 2017.
Krnceska, Sofija. Decades of Economic Instability – Macedonia. September 2017.
Kutscher, Karin. Inestabilidad in Interpersonal Relationships – Chile. October 2017.
Larousse, Annabelle. Legal and Emotional Instability in a Transgender Life – Ireland. August 2017.
Larrosa, Mariela. The Very Stable Spanish Instability. April 2017.
Lobos, José. Political Instability: Guatemala. May 2017.
Lozano, Gabriela. Estructuras Inestables: Vignettes of a Contemporary, Not Quite Collapsing Country – Mexico. November 2017.
MacSweeny, Michael. A House on a Hill – America. October 2017.
Mankevich, Tatiana. The Absence of Linguistic Cтабiльнасць: Does the Belarusian Language Have a Future? December 2016.
McGuiness, Matthew. Loving Lady Instability. November 2017.
Meschi, Isabelle. Linguistic Instabilité and Instabilità: France and Italy. November 2016.
Mitra, Ashutosh. The Instability of Change: India. January 2016.
Moussly, Sahar. The Instability of Tyranny: Syria and the Syrian Diaspora. December 2016.
Nastou, Eliza. Psychological Αστάθεια and Inestabilidad during the Economic Crisis: Greece and Spain. December 2016.
Nevosadova, Jirina. Whatever Happens, It Is Experience. May 2017.
Olisthoughts. Stable Instability – Moldova. October 2017.
Partykowska, Natalia. Niestabilność and адсутнасць стабільнасці in the Arts: Polish and Belarusian Theater. January 2017.
Payan, Rodrigo Arenas. Impotence – Venezuela and Columbia. September 2017.
Persio, P.L.F. Social Instabilità and Instabiliteit: Italy and the Netherlands. November 2016.
Pranevich, Liubou. Cultural Instability: Belarus and Poland. March 2017.
Protić, Aleksandar. Demographic Instability: Serbia. July 2017.
Romano, Mavi. Unstable Identities: Ecuador and Europe. October 2016.
Sekulić, Jelena. Нестабилност/Nestabilnost in Language – Serbia. August 2017.
Sepa, Andreea. Instabilitate vs. Stabilität: How Important Are Cultural Differences? – Romania and Germany. September 2017.
Shunit. Economic Instability: Guinea and Gambia. April 2017.
Shalunova, Marina. Language Instability: Russia. June 2017
Sitorus, Rina. Instabilitas Toleransi: Indonesia. May 2017.
Skrypka, Vladyslav. National нестійкість: Ukraine. July 2017.
Staniulis, Justas. Nestabilumas of Gediminas Hill and the Threat to the Symbol of the State: Lithuania. July 2017.
Sousa, Antonia. Social and Economic Instabilidade: Portugal. January 2017.
Vuka. My Intimate Imbalanced Inclination. March 2017.
Walton, Éva. Historical and Psychological Bizonytalanság within Hungarian Culture. January 2017.
Yücel, Sabahattin. The Instability of Turkish Education and its Effect on Culture and Language: Turkey. July 2017.
Zadrożna-Nowak, Amelia. Economic Instability: Poles at Home and the Polish Diaspora. November 2016.
Zakharova, Anastasiya. Instability in Relationships: Russia. April 2017.